Using 14 KW

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hello All, I have recently started using 14KW (H & S) and found
myself short, so decided to melt the clean scrap and roll it out for
my needs. On a charocal block with Borax I heated it only to have it
slump into a pile rather like a nugget, and totally unlike yellow
golds. It never seemed to reach liquidus. Pressed to complete the
project I decided to go ahead and roll the lump out, and it looks
okay.

Is this what I should expect or have a done something I might have
done better?

Thanks in advance,

Susan Ronan
Coronado, CA

2

Sounds like you just didn’t quite get your metal hot enough. It also
sounds like it was just hot enough to get your job done. Nickel
alloyed white golds are somewhat temperamental. A few impurities,
overheating … soon there is an uynworkable lump that cracks in the
early stages. I like to pour ingots. They provide a more uniform
roll which is especially important when first rolling out metal.